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In May, we learned that more than half of the 1300 patents filed by General Motors Co. in 2009 were considered green innovations. In a study of patent activity of the top-15 global automakers released by the intellectual-property firm Ocean Tomo LLC (www.oceantomo.com), GM was hailed for maintaining a leadership position in the development of green technologies.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. has been awarded a contract for expanded support of Lockheed Martin's Space Systems' development of the ISIS (Integrated Sensor is the Structure) airship powered by a regenerative fuel cell (RFC).

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne received a $20.3 million contract for the first phase to design, develop, and test a high-performance liquid upper-stage propulsion system that will support early intercept capabilities for the Missile Defense Agency.

Through its U.S. subsidiary, Kontron, which specializes in embedded computing technology, has acquired San Diego-based AP Labs Group. The group, which has two operating companies, is regarded as one of the leading system integrators in the areas of defense and aerospace.

XCOR Aerospace and Masten Space Systems have announced a strategic business and technology relationship to jointly pursue anticipated NASA-sponsored unmanned lander projects. These automated lander programs are expected to serve as robotic test beds on Earth, on the lunar surface, Mars, near Earth objects, and other interplanetary locales.

Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded a contract by NASA to develop and demonstrate a method for generating robust autonomous flare maneuvers. The goal of a flare maneuver is to safely transition an aircraft from final approach to touchdown, decelerating the vehicle and setting up a safe landing attitude.

Defence Electronics, an integrated activity of EADS Defence & Security, has invested €1.5 million to extend its skills and capacity for the production of high-frequency modules under clean-room conditions at its Microwave Factory (MWF) in Ulm, Germany.

VisionView VGA from Cognex is a DIN rail-mount adapter that provides direct VGA output for VisionView application software, allowing operators to connect to any size VGA monitor without the need for a PC.

Polaris Industries Inc. plans to create manufacturing centers of excellence for Polaris products by enhancing the existing Roseau, MN, and Spirit Lake, IA, production facilities and establishing a new facility in Mexico, likely in the Monterrey/Saltillo area.

While probably better known for its engineering solutions for ground vehicles, Ricardo announced in late May that it is developing a new purpose-built family of UAV engines for both civilian and military applications.

The best thing about the worst thing about this year’s Bauma—considered the world’s largest construction equipment show— was that the worst thing actually had nothing to do with the off-highway industry, per se, at all.

To reduce the environmental impact of conventional depainting operations and to increase aircraft availability, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) issued a task order to Concurrent Technologies Corp.

A new SAE International standard, J2836/1 - Use Cases for Communication between Plug-In Vehicles and the Utility Grid, establishes use cases for two-way communication between plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) and the electric power grid, for energy transfer and other applications.

The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $50 million contract to provide the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft program with an interim repair capability for its integrated sensor suite (ISS) and the enhanced integrated sensor suite (EISS).

Midtronics’ HYB-1000 hybrid battery system analyzer communicates to a vehicle’s onboard diagnostic system using a wireless convergence module that allows it to read the battery cell, block, and pack parameters while under the stress of an accelerated hybrid drive test.

The DAPL 3000 operating system from Microstar Laboratories supports the xDAP data acquisition processor series that serves as the basis for device control and embedded processing in future data acquisition products.

Allen Aircraft Products Inc. joined forces with the Boeing Co. as part of a team to bid for the U.S. Air Force's new fleet of aerial refueling tankers. As a member of the team, Allen Aircraft will become eligible to increase orders if Boeing is awarded the tanker contract in 2010.